Spring-controlling device



Jan. 6,- 1931. H. J. STEAD SPRING CONTROLLING DEVICE Filed Jul so, 1928 A770 RN'EKS' I Patented Jan. 6, 1931 HARoLnJ. sTEAn, on

FATE-gi in .r 1,788,254;

P rEnr.-o1= rici:

GENEVA, NEW Y RK o i c SPRING-CONTROLLING Dnvion Application filedi July. 30,

that when the wheels pass over an inequality',

in the road which'willraisethem abruptly upwardlythe springs'will be flexed so that theaxle may approach the body without would be the 'case if the axles were rigidly Yaifixed to the body. When the springhas thus been flexed it will in turn return to its normal position thus raising the body up wardly. i Vhen movement of thisr-haracier liasbeen started the inertia of the parts concerned will cause a continuing flexing of the springs in diminishing distances until the original relation of parts has been again attainedi The result of the movement thus transmitted to-the body of the vehicle is a V certain degree of discomfort to the occupants and the main object of my invention is to de sign a structure which will control to a cer the road so that the axles will approach the body more slowly and to a less extent than if the flexing of the'springswas not controlled.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device which will exert a lesser resist- I ance to the flexing of the springs when the axle is moving upwardly under the first shock caused by its passing over an inequality in the road than will be exerted onthe subsequent flexing of the spring so that the initial force exerted on the parts will be minimized. Another object is to provide a device in which limited fiexingof thesprings will be beingexercised by the device.

description 5 transmitting adirect shock to the body which 7 closed end 2.

tain degree the initial flexing of the springs 7 when the wheels pass over an inequality in 192s. Serial No.1 29e,1s4;.' permitted withdutany control of such fiexing Another object is to provide an adjustable means whereby the amountwhich t he flexing of the springs will be controlled may be va-.

Y ried at will.

' Otherobjects and'advantages relate to the size, shape and arrangement of parts all as will more :fully appear from the following 7 4 @aken in connection with the accompanying drawings in, which V Figure l is an elevationpartly broken away andpartly in section showing my device as-c. sembled on the franieand an axle of a vehicle.

Figure 2 isasectiononline 22' of Fig- Figure 3 me 1. H V

l igure dis a section on line l4 of Figi ure 2. o i

Figure his a perspective viewof one of the brake shoes used with my device.

Mydevice consists :Of a circular housing 1 having a closed end '2 and an open end 3. Housing --l--f has its inside face tapered that its diameter at the open end isrgreater than the diameter at the Althoit is not essential I prefer toiplace' in thelower endof housing 1 adjacent the vertical walls a circular lining e of an appropriate friction material, A brake shoe 5 and a similar brake shoe --6 are positioned in housing -l"incontact with'lining The two brake shoes ,5 and (i, as perhaps may best be seen from Figure 4, together inake'a complete circle-so that in the normal position they are in contact with each other and their periphery isin contact throughout with 1ining4l. Brake shoes 5 and 6 I are similar invconstruction and may be interchangeably used so that a description of one is a description of the other. Brake shoe, 5- is semi-circular in shape and is pro' vided adjacent one endwith a bearing surface isa sectionon line 3 3 of Fig- (lover is providedwith depending flihg"e l2 on it's inner: faceof; af siz e andi' shape re ist'er with ftlie upper surfaces "of bra'keshoes' and-6 willbeun d the; the which lorake' 1 shoes into notches .13'.

"7' which when brakeshoes and Similar bearing surfaces-7 and 8V are provided on brake shoe 6.

surfaces 7 7 pins ''9v for a purpose hereinafter to; be described. T-llBQUlZSlClB surfaces of brake when they are in position in housing-l the outside surface of brake shoes- 5 and -6' will be in parallel relation to th e inside surface of houslng 1;

I*or the purpose of retaining brake shoes 5 and 6+- withinz'housingi and: them in relation for the purpose of adjusting to housing I provid a*- cloverr -pl ate 10: having atcentral aperture g beingf externally: threaded on jinn-elf end. The inner-face of the open end -3 of hous- P is-mamn y threaded so that cover 1,() maybe threaded into housing and it willalso beiunderstood the the f ajrtlier -brake shoes 5' and are" o'rced i'n'to housing -v1 the greater will be the pressure ofthe 'brak'e shoes and against the lining Cover 10 is provide'd oirits outside edge-with a'series of spaced 4 w V A set screw positi'o'ned in the outer edge of'housing -1- so that it may ent'er'one' o'f the otches e13 to hold 2 cover 10.' from "rotationafter' it has been adj listed to the desired position A right angular crank farm +15- having anehd '-16 rectangular 'i'n cro ss section is placed through aperture -11- in cov'er 10 with the'fendl(jpositioned be tween the brake"shoes' 5{- and 6 End with one end bentoutward'lv and 'in contactwith bearing, surface 8" 18% extends outwardly from thenupper surface of end '16 anti-3;; upwardly bent and 'in' contact with bearing surface 7". A: bracket -l9" isiposition'ed' on'one' end of prevent any relative axial movement o fbrak'e 1 shoe 6 and'crank v x 7. p V

on its lower face 'ith' a spring 23 snnilar'to sprn'ig l7 and Bearing and 7 are provlded wlth VGItlCiLl 1 L and" Y brakes "fate brhke Another spring,

in contact with bearing surface 8. .It is also provided with a spring 2 l-"siin'1lar in shape and position to spring 18 and in contact with bearing surface '7, A bracket similar to bracket 19 is positioned on the end of end 16, springs 23 and 24 and bracket 25 beingrigidly affixed to end 16 by screw 26. Spring 24; and bracket 26 provided withslots 27 and 28, respectively, to receive ajpin 9 on brake shoe 5.

'Housing 1 is provided with a plurality in this case shown as three, ofjstud screws 29'extendingoutwardly from the closed end 2 ofhousing 1 by means of which housing 1 is rigidl Y secured to the frame 30 of'a vehicle, not shown, in the position shown in Figure 1. The end of cranial-5 opposite to the end 16 is provided with a ball, not shown, confined in a socket 331 on the en d of a link 32. The opposite end of link provided with a ball; not shown, confined in-a-socliet 3301i clamp 34 which is rigidlf secured to an axle'35'ofthe vehicle so that whe the axle approaches the frame 30 the crankjlii will be moved 'u vm-diy and its end16 will be rotated in housing l. Similarly when frame 30 moves upwardly away from axle 34l to and beyond their normal relation the 1 crank 15 will" be moved 1 downwardly and itsend 16 rotated inhousing 1" in the-opposite direction;

dVh'en the crank 15-- i s rotated thereby an'arrow on Figured spriii 'slT and' 23 will A be depressed so that dirringfthe intial 'niovement or end"-1'6 -"therewill he no effect on shoes and; --6 much a's'th'e frictional resistance betweenthem an'd li-n ing'" i l greaterthan-i i strength.of 'springs 17 and 213. vv'hein lioi ever, the end 16- has been rotated a surf ficient"dista-nce so that the erd -17- is in*co. 1tact with bearing surface 8 and with ci'it o and spring 23 is in contactwith bearing surface 8 andthe oppositeside of e: 1d 16, force ivillfbe' eXer ad on brake shoes and 6, which force will tend to rooe's'l'; and 6 in horising'-1- and at the same v 'ie will'tendto'force'brike shoes 5' and outwardlyand thusincrease' th'e friction between brake shoes"--5 and '6' and-'lining-4-.. Such fllCiJlQl-lill'l'- inassistanoebetween brake shoes 5 and G' and li'nild'gl i will resist the rotary niovcv ment of en'dl6' and will bring-it to rest sooner than would be the caseif its-rotary movement was not resisted. 7

When the end 16 is rotated in theopposite direction springs 18 and 24 will bedpressed untiltlieycontact with brackets 19 "and 25,

respectively, to prevent any further flexing of'sp'rings l8 and 24. The initialinovement depressed: will" notaifect' brake shoes '5 ahd (S and with bearing surface than can beovercome by springs 18 and 24:.

\Vhen spring 18 is in contact with bracket 19 I 7 at which time spring 24 is in contact. with bracket and bearing surface 7, the further rotary movement of end16 will exert force against brake shoes 5 and 6, part of such force tending to rotate brake shoes 5 and 6- iii-housing 1 and part of such force tending to move brake shoes 5- and 6 outward and increase the friction between them and lining -4 The resistance of brake shoes and 6 to the further rotation of end 16 will cause end 16 to coincto rest sooner than would be the case if such rotary movement were not resisted. f p 1 lVhen the end 16is rotated in the direction indicatedby thearrow on Figure ithe points against which will apply force against brake shoes 5- and -6 are near the axis of housing 1 so that the direction of suclr force will be such that the major portion thereof will be expended in an effort to force brakes shoes -5 and 6- outwardly and into greater frictional contact with lining 4. and therefore a greater resistance will be offered to the further rotation of end 16 the oppositedirection. In the latter case the points where the force from the end 16 is applied to brake shoes 5 and 6 are adjacent the periphery of the circle formedby brake shoes 5 and 6 so that the major portion of force so exerted by end 16 will be expended in the direction of rotation of brake shoes -5 and -6' and the lesser portion will be expended in a direction tending to force brake shoes and 6- outwardly and into greater frictional contact with lining The advantage of applying the force of the rotating end16 in different positions on brake shoes 5 and 6 depending upon the direction 7 of rotation of end 16 lies in the fact that when springs are controlled by devices of this character the result to thehody oi; the vchicle and the occupants thereof better if a greater resistance is offered to the flexing of the springs 36 of the vehicle when they are moving in one direction than when they are moving in the other.

It will be obvious that the size of my device and the materials of which it is made may be varied to a considerable extent and it will also be obvious that the initial pressure-between brake shoes 5 and 6- and housing -1- or llning 4, if such 1s used, may be is desiredto ofi'er against the rotation of end:

.LItwill also be apparent thataltliough-.I-

have shownonly one device in positionon a vehiclethata plurality of such devicesmay be used, and usually are, sothat'the inovementof allo f, the springs ofa vehiclemay be controlled. It will also be obvious that the length of crank 15 and link 32 may be varied .to accommodatemydeviceto different types of yehicles, for-altho I have shown and de I scribed a specific structure andform of. part 'on, a line at right angles to its axis disposed in the housing in frictional contact therewith, a crank rotatably mounted inside the circular member, means for yieldingly holding the crank out of contact with the circular member, means forrotating the crank, and means for holding the crank and circular g gmember in fixedaxial relation. than willbethe case when end 1c is rotated 1n lineat right angles'to its axis disposed in the housing in frictional contact therewith, a

crank rotatably' mo unted in the housing and 1 having opposed faeesadapted to contact with the circular member when the crank is rotated, the points of contact between the crank" and the circular member when the crank is rotated in one directionbeing a greater distance from the axis of the circular member than the points of contact between such members when the crank 18 rotated in the opposite direction, and means for rotating the crank.

3.111 a device of the class described, a

housing, a circular member separable on a line at right angles was axis disposed in the housing in frictional contact therewith, a crank rotatably mounted in the housing and having opposed faces adapted to contact with the circular member when the crank is rotated, the points of contact between the crank and the circular member when the crank is rotated in one direction being a greater distance from the axis of the circular member than the points of contact between such members when the crank is rotated in the opposite direction, means for holding the crank and circular member in fixed axial relation, and means for rotating the crank.

4. In a device ofthe class described, a housing, a circular member separable on a line at right angles to its axis disposed in the housing in frictional contact therewith, a crank rotatably mounted in the housing and having opposed faces adapted to contact with the circular member when the crank is rbtatd, tli pointfs' offiontacfi betweeri the: crank and the circular member when the cfaxik iS iI'QtEiiEd in one directin v-be ing a greater (li'stiance fadnr the axis" oftlh e' cirfcu in'g'the' 01121111? and circular member fixed and mez'm's for rot'sfliing' the:

axiaE relatimm, cra'nk.

mud this 18th "day of Emmi 1928'; HAROLD STEADL 

